CONTROLLABLE FLUID SAMPLE DISPENSER AND METHODS USING THE SAME

• US 20140069420A1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: RICHTER, Martin, KIBLER, Sebastian, KRUCKOW, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.21
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/02 Scent flasks, e.g. with evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4011 Evaluating olfaction, i.e. sense of smell
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/12 Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/02 operated by air or other gas pressure applied to the liquid or other product to be sprayed or atomised sprayers for horticulture A01G, A01H; killing insects A01M; air humidifying by nozzles F24F6/14, F24F6/18; cooling by spraying F28B, F28C
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0003 with means for dispensing more than one drug
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0065 Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0066 with means for varying the dose size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/08 Inhaling devices inserted into the nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0016 by the smell sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/07 having air pumping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/36 related to heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/01 Remote controllers for specific apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body

Abstract

A fluid sample dispenser includes a microdosing device for outputting, during an activation state, a fluid sample at a fluid sample outlet to the environment, wherein the microdosing device is placeable adjacent to a person'"'"'s nose so that a distance between the outlet of the microdosing device and a nostril of the person'"'"'s nose is within a predefined range, and a microdosing driver unit for adjusting a dosing rate of the scent sample output at the scent sample outlet by selectively activating the microdosing device.

Claims

1. Fluid sample dispenser, comprising:

a microdosing device fluidically coupled to a fluid sample reservoir and a fluid sample outlet, the microdosing device being configured to create, during an activation state, a flow of a carrier gas through the fluid sample reservoir for taking up particles of the fluid sample into the carrier gas, and to output a fluid sample in form of the carrier gas with the fluid sample particles at the fluid sample outlet to the environment, and

a microdosing driver unit for adjusting a dosing rate of the fluid sample output at the fluid sample outlet by selectively activating the microdosing device.

2. Dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fixing element for fixing and placing the microdosing device adjacent to the person'"'"'s nose so that a distance between the fluid outlet of the microdosing device and a nostril of the person'"'"'s nose is within a predefined range, or a tubing element at the fluid outlet of the microdosing device is placed at or in the nostril of the person'"'"'s nose.

3. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the microdosing driver unit is configured to activate the microdosing device responsive to a control signal received from a controller unit.

4. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the microdosing device comprises a micro fan or a micropump comprising a pump chamber providing a stroke volume.

5. Dispenser according to claim 4, wherein a dead volume of the micropump between an exit of the pump chamber and the outlet of the micropump is less than ten-times the stroke volume.

6. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fixing element is part of a headset attached to the person'"'"'s head.

7. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the microdosing driver unit comprises a signal receiving element for receiving the control signal from a controller unit remotely placed to the dispenser.

8. Dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the signal receiving element is configured to install a wireless or wired connection through the controller unit.

9. Dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply element in the form of a rechargeable battery.

10. Dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the power supply element is integrated to the microdosing driver unit, the microdosing device or the fixing element.

11. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fluid sample reservoir is configured to provide the fluid sample with a specific sample concentration in form of fluid sample molecules or particles dissolved in filtered air from the environment.

12. Dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the fluid sample comprises a scent, an aroma, flavor, and/or a medical or pharmaceutical agent.

13. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fluid sample reservoir is arranged, in the flow direction of the fluid sample, downstream to the microdosing device, wherein an inlet of the microdosing device is fluidically coupled to an outlet of the fluid sample reservoir.

14. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fluid sample reservoir is arranged, in the flow direction of the fluid sample, upstream to the microdosing device, wherein an outlet of the microdosing device is fluidically coupled to an inlet of the fluid sample reservoir.

15. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fluid sample reservoir is removably connected to the microdosing device.

16. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fluid sample reservoir is permanently attached to the microdosing device, wherein the microdosing device and the fluid sample reservoir are arranged in the same housing.

17. Dispenser according claim 1, wherein the fluid sample reservoir comprises a plurality of separated volumes for storing different fluid samples.

18. Dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the different fluid samples are selectively suppliable to the microdosing device.

19. Dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the microdosing device comprises a plurality of micropumps, wherein the microdosing driver unit is configured to selectively or alternatively activate the plurality of micropumps, wherein each micropump is associated to a different volume of the plurality of separated volumes.

20. Dispenser according to claim 17, further comprising a plurality of microdosing devices each fluidically coupled to one of the plurality of fluid sample volumes in the fluid sample reservoir.

21. Dispenser according claim 1, where at least one of the inlet of the fluid sample reservoir, the outlet of the fluid sample reservoir, the inlet of the microdosing device and the outlet of the microdosing device comprise a free-flow protection element for preventing a fluid sample flow in a flow direction opposite to the intended fluid sample flow direction.

22. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the microdosing device comprises a tubing element as the fluid sample outlet for supplying the fluid sample in immediate proximity to the nose or nostril of the person.

23. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the microdosing device is configured to be placed adjacent to a person'"'"'s nose so that a distance between the outlet of the microdosing device and a nostril of the person'"'"'s nose is within a predefined range.

24. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the fluid sample outlet comprises a nozzle or nozzle structure for increasing the flow speed of the fluid sample output at the fluid sample outlet to the environment.

25. Use of the controllable fluid sample dispenser of claims 1 to 24 for selectively supplying a fluid sample with a predefined dosing rate to a person'"'"'s nose.

26. Method for determining the minimum scent concentration of a scent sample, a person can detect, comprising:

setting or calibrating the scent concentration of the scent sample provided by the scent reservoir,

supplying the scent sample with a start dosing rate to the person'"'"'s nose,

increasing the dosing rate supplied to the person'"'"'s nose, until the person senses the scent sample,

wherein the minimum scent concentration detectable by the person corresponds to the currently supplied dosing rate, when the person senses the supplied scent sample.

27. Method according to claim 26, further comprising:

if the person already responds to the scent sample supplied with the start dosing rate,

reducing the first dosing rate by at least 50% to a new start dosing rate, and

performing the steps of supplying and increasing by starting with the new start dosing rate.

28. Method for determining the scent sample detection limit of a person, comprising:

setting or calibrating the concentration of the scent sample provided by the scent reservoir,

supplying the scent sample with a start dosing rate to the person'"'"'s nose,

decreasing the dosing rate supplied to the person'"'"'s nose, until the person stops to sense the scent sample,

wherein the scent sample detection limit of the person corresponds to the currently supplied dosing rate, when the person stops to respond to or to sense the supplied scent sample.

29. Method according to claim 28, further comprising:

if the person already does not respond to or sense the scent sample supplied with the start dosing rate,

increasing the first dosing rate by at least 50% to a new start dosing rate, and

performing the steps of supplying and decreasing by starting with the new start dosing rate.

30. Method for determining the minimum scent concentration of a scent sample, a scent detector can detect, comprising:

setting or calibrating the scent concentration of the scent sample provided by the scent reservoir,

supplying the scent sample with a start dosing rate to a sensing element of the scent detector,

increasing the dosing rate supplied to the sensing element, until the scent detector responds to the scent sample,

wherein the minimum scent concentration detectable by the scent detector corresponds to the currently supplied dosing rate, when the scent detector responds to the supplied scent sample.

31. Method according to claim 30, further comprising:

if the scent detector already responds to the scent sample supplied with the start dosing rate,

reducing the first dosing rate by at least 50% to a new start dosing rate, and

performing the steps of supplying and increasing by starting with the new start dosing rate.

32. Method for determining the scent sample detection limit of a scent detector, comprising:

setting or calibrating the concentration of the scent sample provided by the scent reservoir,

supplying the scent sample with a start dosing rate to a sensing element of the scent detector,

decreasing the dosing rate supplied to the sensing element, until the scent detector stops to respond to the scent sample,

wherein the scent sample detection limit of the scent detector corresponds to the currently supplied dosing rate, when the scent detector stops to respond to the supplied scent sample.

33. Method according to claim 32, further comprising:

if the scent detector does not respond to the scent sample supplied with the start dosing rate,

increasing the first dosing rate by at least 50% to a new start dosing rate, and

performing the steps of supplying and decreasing by starting with the new start dosing rate.

34. Fluid sample dispenser, comprising:

a microdosing device fluidically coupled to a fluid sample outlet, the microdosing device being configured to create, during an activation state, a flow of a carrier gas to the fluid sample outlet;

a fluid sample supplier fluidically coupled to a fluid sample reservoir, the fluid sample supplier being configured to selectively supply particles of the fluid sample from the fluid sample reservoir into the carrier gas flowing to the fluid sample outlet; and

a microdosing driver unit for adjusting a dosing rate of the fluid sample output at the fluid sample outlet by selectively activating the microdosing device and/or the fluid sample supplier.

35. Dispenser according to claim 34, wherein the fluid sample supplier comprises a further micropump comprising a pump chamber providing a stroke volume.